Women's Rights in Iran

*Disclaimer: Pardon the tone, everyone, but this really gets me worked up.

Ok. Before I left, everyone asked me 'aren't you worried about women's rights over there?'. Even the many travellers I meet talk about 'repression' and the fact that women have no rights here.

Bullshit.

Through and through.

I know I am a foreigner here, and I don't see what happens in individual people's homes, but honestly? I have never felt safer or more respected.

Yes, I wear hijab. No, it's not a problem - in fact I like it.

There are women's carriages at the beginning and end of every train, so we can sit seperately from men if we want to. I never have - I ride in the regular carriages, because (so far), I travel with men. If the train is crowded, one of the guys I'm with will block my body with his so I don't get pushed up against by strangers.

There is taxi etiquette that basically ensures a woman won't be squished between two men in the back seat. I sit in the passenger side or by a door, always. Even the buses have a separate space for women to travel. Again, this prevents contact with strange men.

The men are respectful, polite, and offer help when I'm lost. Otherwise, they leave me alone. There's no leering, there's no drunken 'hello beautiful', no staring at my chest. Men respect women here.

Women can work, study, drive - anything they want.

I've never had a problem.

So you can stick your stereotypes whereever you like, because they don't work here.